This invention relates to a personal identification apparatus and a personal identification method, and more particularly to a personal identification apparatus and a personal identification method wherein an impulse response obtained when a pulse signal is applied to a living organism can be utilized to perform personal identification.
Conventionally, a signature, an input of a password and so forth have been used widely as a measure for identifying an individual person in order to authenticate the individual person.
However, the signature can be imitated readily, and also the password can be inputted readily by an unrelated person if it leaks once. Therefore, an impersonated unrelated person can utilize a cash card or a credit card with the signature or the password.
In order to prevent such impersonation as just mentioned, a technique for identifying an individual person making use of living organism information such as, for example, a fingerprint has been and is being developed. No doubt the living organism information cannot be imitated readily when compared with the signature or the password.
However, even in regard to an authentication process which utilizes living organism information, an example has been reported wherein image data are collected from a fingerprint remaining on a glass plate or the like and an imitated finger is produced based on the image data and authenticated successfully by a fingerprint collation apparatus sold on the market. In this manner, even if living organism information is used, impersonation may not sometimes be prevented.